Labor Unions

Paper Summary:

This paper provides a brief overview of the history and purpose of labor unions in America. In particular, it looks at the Association of Flight Attendants AFL-CIO which is a sector of the Communications Workers of America CWA. It looks at how ,over the course of the last few years, the union has gone through some major changes in strategy and structure as a result of the events of September 11, 2001 and then discusses these changes.

Outline:
Craft Division
Pairing the Crews

From the Paper:

"Some participants in and observers of the U.S. labor movement have viewed unions as institutions with the potential to establish industrial democracy and socialism. Others have viewed unions as highly conservative institutions returning to workers the status lost in the transition from village societies to urban anonymity. In reality, their role has been more modest. In the early 1980's they enrolled in their ranks only one of five members of the labor force, down from one of four in the 1950's and 1960's. These workers had a somewhat greater say in their work lives and in the halls of Congress and state legislatures. They received somewhat greater pay and were more productive. They sometimes followed the political calls of their leaders and sometimes did not."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Association of Flight Attendant's -CWA website. Retrieved July 31, 2006 from http://www.afanet.org/.
• Clark, Paul F. Building More Effective Unions. (2000) Cornell University.
• US Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics: Flight Attendants website. Retrieved July 31, 2006 from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos171.htm.

More papers on Labor Unions:

• Essay # 69735 : "Films about Labor Unions"
• Research Paper # 117189 : "Labor Unions"
• Analytical Essay # 144029 : "American Labor Unions Prior to World War II"
• Analytical Essay # 141983 : "U.S. and Canadian Labor Unions"

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